FICTION

Oh No, George!

Oh No, George! illus. by author. unpaged. Candlewick. Mar. 2012. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5546-4. LC number unavailable.
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PreS-Gr 2—George wants to be good-he really does-but some temptations are too hard to resist. The pup's first downfall is cake, then the cat, then dirt. Predictably, eating the cake, playing with the cat, and digging in the dirt don't impress Harry, his owner. George is contrite, and after Harry cleans up, they go out for a walk together, and he manages to pass up each of the previous temptations. In the end, though, readers are left to guess whether digging through an interesting-smelling garbage can will prove too big a temptation for the reformed canine. George's exploits are displayed on bright spreads while the repetitive text simply says, "Oh no, George!" leaving readers to infer from the picture what choice he made. Haughton's digitally rendered illustrations have a modern-retro feel, and creative kids will enjoy seeing that the conventional color rules are missing; George is a fuchsia, red, and mulberry delight, while Harry is olive-green with navy blue and aqua hair. Make room in your dog-themed storytimes for this crowd-pleaser.—Amy Commers, South St. Paul Public Library, MN
"Will you be good, George?" Harry asks his dog as he leaves. George says yes, but when tantalized by cake and a cat and some dirt... The cliffhanger ending feels like a cop-out, but George realizing that he's his own worst enemy is both funny and improbably heart-tugging. Emotive, rough-edged pencil and digital illustrations mirror the misbehavior--and the eventual obedience.

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